KNAPP DD 653

Ship Name and Designation History

This section lists the names and designations that the ship had during its lifetime. The list is in chronological order.

Fletcher Class Destroyer Keel Laid March 8 1943 - Launched July 10 1943 USS KNAPP DD-653 Commissioned September 16 1943 - Decommissioned July 5 1946 Recommissioned May 3 1951 - Decommissioned March 4 1957 Stricken March 6 1972 Sold August 27 1973 and broken up for scrap The ship's bridge is at the Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria, Oregon

Naval Covers

This section lists active links to the pages displaying covers associated with the ship. There should be a separate set of pages for each name of the ship (for example, Bushnell AG-32 / Sumner AGS-5 are different names for the same ship so there should be one set of pages for Bushnell and one set for Sumner). Covers should be presented in chronological order (or as best as can be determined).

Since a ship may have many covers, they may be split among many pages so it doesn't take forever for the pages to load. Each page link should be accompanied by a date range for covers on that page.

1. Covers Page 1     (1946)

 

Postmarks

This section lists examples of the postmarks used by the ship. There should be a separate set of postmarks for each name and/or commissioning period. Within each set, the postmarks should be listed in order of their classification type. If more than one postmark has the same classification, then they should be further sorted by date of earliest known usage.

A postmark should not be included unless accompanied by a close-up image and/or an image of a cover showing that postmark. Date ranges MUST be based ONLY ON COVERS IN THE MUSEUM and are expected to change as more covers are added.
 
>>> If you have a better example for any of the postmarks, please feel free to replace the existing example.

 

Postmark Type --- Killer Bar Text	Postmark Date	Thumbnail Link To Postmark Image	Thumbnail Link To Cover Image

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1st Commissioning September 16 1943 to July 5 1946

 

Locy Type 2z

1944-10-18

 

Locy Type 2z

1946-02-13

Note:

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2nd Commissioning May 3 1951 to March 4 1957

 

Locy Type 2r

1952-06-03

 

Other Information

KNAPP received eight battle stars for World War II service

NAMESAKE - Harry Shepard Knapp (June 27 1856 - April 6 1928)
Knapp graduated from the Naval Academy June 20 1878. After serving in USS PENSACOLA as Cadet Midshipman and in USS MINNESOTA, and USS JAMESTOWN as a Midshipman, he was commissioned Ensign July 8 1882. Following assignments to a number of ships and stations ashore, he was ordered to USS DOROTHEA as Executive Officer at the outbreak of the Spanish American War. Outstanding service in a variety of important billets afloat and ashore was rewarded on August 3 1908 when Knapp assumed command of USS CHARLESTON C-22. Promoted to Captain 1909, Knapp was assigned to the General Board January 8 1910. At about this time he served intermittently on the Joint Army and Navy Board for Defense of the Panama Canal. He was in charge of USS FLORIDA BB-30 while she was fitted out and commanded the battleship when she first commissioned September 15 1911. He took command of Cruiser Force, Atlantic Fleet November 8 1915. Knapp was promoted to Rear Admiral March 17 1917 and a week before the United States entered World War I was appointed Military Governor of Santo Domingo and Military Representative of the United States in Haiti. "Meritorious service" in this post, laboring to protect Allied shipping from German U-boats and to make the Caribbean secure from enemy aggression, won Rear Admiral Knapp the Navy Cross. Soon after the armistice, he was Naval Attach^ in London with staff duties and on February 4 1920 assumed command of U.S. Naval Forces operating in European waters with rank of Vice Admiral. Even after Vice Admiral Knapp was placed on the retired list effective June 27 1920, the Navy utilized his singular abilities. This won him temporary active duty as a consultant and as quasi-diplomat. He died at Hartford, Conn., April 6 1928

 

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